1PM, Rubio VS Wall (Wolves - Wiz Game Thread)

[SUPERBALLMAN]

What's puzzling is Wall's regression from his play last year. This team overall cannot shoot, but Wall looked much better the end of last season with the likes of Crawford and Jeffers. You would think adding guys like Young, Lewis, Mason to the mix would help somewhat. I mean he was clearly outplayed by Rubio. Other than his ability to race down the court on his 1-man fast break, which is impressive to see, he really seems to have no pg skills (handle, deft passing, soft hands, court vision, ability to run a team or manage a game). He certainly is no Magic Johnson. I'm wondering at this point if he'll even be Kevin Johnson level. I mean the Derrick Rose comparisons need to stop. I just am not seeing the pg skills or abilities I could see in guys like Isiah, Kidd, Nash, Stockton, Penny Hardaway, Kenny Anderson, Chris Paul. Not to mention he is completely void of personality. Never smiles, his interviews fast mumbling of generic cliches. At least Webber and Arenas had charisma. John Wall does not seem to have that inspiration factor.

I mean watching him... a guy he reminds me of at this point is Robert Pack. Nothing special, but was extremely fast. Not a good shooter, but could rack up some assist totals and get some steals, not an especially good defender though, and couldn't stay healthy. Given Wall's lack of skills, his best bet at becoming an effective pg is to model his game after Gary Payton. He does have the tools to be a top defensive pg, and that IMO is really where he should focus his efforts.

Maybe I'm overreacting. But for a #1 overall pick and supposed savior of the franchise, Wall is the biggest disapointment of this season so far to me.

[Dat2U]

I think what many Wall supporters are saying is he's being sabotaged by the roster around him. How do create easy shots for unskilled players that can't shoot or idiots that can't follow direction and run the basic offensive sets?

Wall's court vision is fine. But no one is making shots. No one sets good picks (on ocassion Booker & Seraphin will). No one is where they are supposed to be. Everyone is going one & one (including Wall now because he lacks trust in his teammates). The lane is packed because we've got a lineup filled with bricklayers. Everyone is standing around because we've got so many ballstoppers.

Who could be successful in this environment? What would Rubio, Rose or any other PG do under this current scenario?

And superballman, why would Wall smile? What is there to smile about? Last years team was just putrid, this years team is potentially historically bad.

I don't see how anyone can blame Wall for this. He's being pulled down into a whirpool of suckiness that's been created by Leonsis & Grunfeld. I'm all for building through the draft, but you don't intentionally put together a roster that fosters such a terrible environment. The lack of b-ball IQ, heart & character of players that Ernie put together is unmatched.

[LyricalRico]

Other than his ability to race down the court on his 1-man fast break, which is impressive to see, he really seems to have no pg skills (handle, deft passing, soft hands, court vision, ability to run a team or manage a game). He certainly is no Magic Johnson. I'm wondering at this point if he'll even be Kevin Johnson level. I mean the Derrick Rose comparisons need to stop. I just am not seeing the pg skills or abilities I could see in guys like Isiah, Kidd, Nash, Stockton, Penny Hardaway, Kenny Anderson, Chris Paul. Not to mention he is completely void of personality. Never smiles, his interviews fast mumbling of generic cliches. At least Webber and Arenas had charisma. John Wall does not seem to have that inspiration factor.

Agree 100%. I made a statement a week or so ago that Wall was clearly a level below where the other young PGs were at the same stage and I still stand by it.

I also agree with those that say that Wall needs better players around him to reach his full potential. I don't think those ideas are mutually exclusive. Where we probably differ is when it comes to what that "full potential" actually is.

[Illuminaire]

When Wall came into the league, I questioned his passing ability. By the end of the season, though, I was won over. He showed excellent court vision and a strong sense of where his teammates were going to be. He made every kind of pass a PG needs to make, and was accurate and timely in doing so. He did not look like a Steve Nash, but he looked solidly in the next tier of PGs in terms of passing ability only.

This season Wall does not appear to be passing as much or as confidently. That does appear to be a function of the players around him. He simply doesn't trust them to follow the plays or finish them if he gets them the ball.

I think judging Wall's development and true ability level right now is a very tricky proposition, and we should all be wary of making definitive claims when there are a LOT of external factors clouding his play.

[tontoz]

^ Exactly, which is why i am not giving much weight to some of the areas Wall is struggling in.

I am very concerned with his jumper which is putrid and realistically shouldn't be affected by the garbage cans around him. An open shot is an open shot and he isn't making them. many of them are missing by a lot.

[hands11]

Just thought it might be worth mentioning that Wall is 4th on the team in FGA per minute -- behind Young, Crawford and Blatche. All of whom have been shooting the ball almost as badly as Wall has. Wall shoots about as frequently per minute as Shelvin Mack and Javale McGee.

Somebody has to shoot the ball. I have no problem with Wall shooting even less, but...who gets those shots?

That would depend on the shot clock and who is open.

I have no problem with McGee getting more post opportunities.
Or Singleton getting 10 shots in 30-35 minutes
or Booker driving and trying a few mid range shots

Wall only took 10 shots last game. That is in the range I have been saying he should be in since I saw him last year. 10-12 shots. The problem now is what shots he is taking, when and can he convert them.

If he made two more so he was 5-10 4-4 from the line with 14 pts and he had two more assists bring it to 8 and two less turnovers bring that down to 2, then that would have been a more solid game. From there it is about pace so other players can get better shots. There are to many chuck shots either to early in the clock or late ones with the clock running out because of a stalled offense.

He has to learn to be effective without running as fast as he can down court on every play and then forcing something. He is to damn fast. No one can run with him so he just ends up down there all by himself. I have no problem with him getting down there fast on some plays to press the defense but he needs to wait for the rest of the team to join him. He doesn't develop as pace that the team can find a rhythm in. Why race down court to follow him if all you can do it get to half court while you watch him crash to the ground ?

If he pressed it that hard on fewer occasions, he might find that his teammates see that as a more unique situation to fast break so they will have the energy to run with him.

It all comes down to one simple fact. He needs to play like a set up PG. He is not Derrick Rose. But he can be a Rondo type. In the first quarter of the last game he forced at least 3 shots.

I'm not saying adding Rondo would make this team great, but they would look at lot better then they have. It's nice to see more posters chiming in with a more balance and fair evaluation of Wall and what his part is in all of this.

[closg00]

Rubio when asked about the Wizards scouting report - "we knew they play a lot of 1-on-1

[Zonkerbl]

Rubio when asked about the Wizards scouting report - "we knew they play a lot of 1-on-1

Ouch.

[willbcocks]

I just finished watching the game (Don't ever questio my dedication; I watched this game two days after the fact, KNOWING the result), and watching it after reading all the responses, I was surprised by how well Wall played.

Coming into this year, we knew he had to improve on a few things: his jumper, his defense, and his reckless style/tempo.

The jumper is still broken. His pg style still needs serious work, although I have seen some initial improvements. But his defense has gotten much better. He's working hard on that side of the floor, getting into the right spots, and using his length and quickness to be disruptive. He is either fighting through the screen or getting behind it quickly. The change is dramatic from what he did last year, and this is a great sign.

He's turning it over a lot and his assists are down, but watching the game last night, it was obvious what the problem is: the offense does not get anyone on the team open shots. Wall made a lot of tough passes for assists by sacrificing his body and going to the basket. He would have had 3 more if teammates had just made layups. He is not carving people up and making them look stupid like Rondo, but he's drawing double teams and hitting the spot up shooter or cutter...when there is one.

But most of the time no one cuts to the basket. And everyone is always in the predictable, same spot. Wall got one pass picked because everyone in the building knew what play was coming and where Nick was setting up.

The coach is not getting through to these personnel. Who's to blame? ESPN analyst Yeats said of the Wizards' situation, "How can you tell the dancer from the dance?"

You have two many guys with big minutes who are going through the motions (Shard, Blatche, at times Young and McGee) and too many guys who don't play team ball (Blatche, Young, Crawford). Everyone know the ball is going to stop with one of these guys. Everyone else knows they aren't getting the ball, so they're just going through the motions in Flip's offense.

It's too late for Flip to hold this group accountable. He's lost them and he can't start disciplining them now. Time for a new coach who will crack out the whip--and a new GM to trade the whipping boys.

[willbcocks]

Also, Vesley didn't look too bad. He knows what he's doing on the court, and he puts himself in good position on both sides of the floor. He hasn't figure out how to use his body against NBA players, but his first move to draw the fouls looked good, as did his cut to the basket for the dunk. I question what we're going to do with yet another player who can't shoot, but I'm not dismissing his talent yet.